FRISCO, Texas -- Another NFL season for the Cowboys brought forth an unfortunate, continuing trend in Dallas: a major cornerback injury.
However, the Cowboys are looking forward to continuing the positive trend of successfully replacing cornerback production with an internal, young replacement. Then-starting nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis went down with a Lisfranc foot fracture in 2022, and then-rookie fifth-round pick DaRon Bland came off the bench to haul in five interceptions that season, tied for the fifth most in the league that year. Pro Bowl outside cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a torn ACL prior to Dallas' Week 3 game at the Arizona Cardinals in 2023. Bland once again stepped up as a starter, this time on the outside, by leading the NFL with nine interceptions, five of which were pick-sixes -- an NFL single-season record.
This year, Bland himself got bit by the injury bug, suffering a stress fracture in his foot at training camp that led to him undergoing surgery to repair. He will be out for 6 to 8 weeks post-operation, which puts him in line to potentially return by Week 4, 5 or 6. Once again, owner and general manager Jerry Jones is refusing to look outside his franchise for help and instead relying on the players he has drafted.
"Not at all," Jones said after the team's preseason finale against the Chargers when asked if he is going to look outside the team for cornerback depth. "Not in any way. No, not at all. The good news is we've got some guys that have really shown well in camp. We won't be looking at all."
The injury replacement in 2024, rookie Caelen Carson out of Wake Forest, has a somewhat similar background to Bland in that both were fifth-round picks who weren't drafted with the intention of play right away. However, that's exactly what's about to happen. Since this phenomenon isn't new for the Cowboys, head coach Mike McCarthy isn't as worried about it as other head coaches around the league might be if something like this happened on their team.
"I think it's definitely something you can point to," McCarthy said Monday when asked about the team's success in mitigating cornerback injuries during his tenure as Dallas' head coach since 2020. "I think anytime you have a situation that occurs and you can point internally to how you've handled it, that's part of that five-year growth that I'm talking about. I think clearly with [assistant head coach/defensive backs coach] Al [Harris] and [safeties coach] Cannon [Matthews] and the guys that are in that room already, it's definitely an experience that guys can lean on. I think it definitely helps you."
Lewis, whose injury started the trend, agreed with McCarthy's assessment of how the team has handled its cornerback injuries. Under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (from 2021-2023), who is now the head coach of the Washington Commanders, Dallas led the NFL with 59 interceptions, and its team passer rating allowed figure of 80.6 ranked second behind only the Buffalo Bills' 76.6.
"The production is still there regardless of whoever is out," Lewis said Monday. "Trevon was out, DB [DaRon Bland] stepped up. Those guys are out, and guys stepped up, and we start turning the ball over. We're always going to turn the ball over. I feel like that's a staple of what we do. That's a testament to Coach Al [Harris] and [safeties coach] Cannon Matthews. Just getting us ready for those moments and understanding that who's ever out there, we got to go out there and get the ball. Regardless of whether or not DB is out there or not, we got to go out there and do a job. I wish we could have him because he is one of the best in the league, but at the same time, it's a standard of production that still has to be out there."
Both Jones and McCarthy have liked what they have seen so far from Carson since being pressed into duty earlier than anticipated.
"I like the fact that he's playing at the level he is for how long a time (he's been) in the NFL, which is not much," Jones said after the preseason finale. "He is certainly going to get a great opportunity to fill in here. We've had a couple guys come in here and do pretty well the last three or four years as a rookie cornerback. So maybe he'll make All-Pro."
McCarthy didn't go that far when describing Carson's progress, but he has liked the rookie's play throughout the offseason program and preseason.
"Well, I think Caelen is in good hands," McCarthy said Monday. "He has a quiet confidence about himself. Since he's arrived here, I haven't seen him really take a step backwards. He jumps right in there. He competes, very instinctive, very aware. But it's still gonna be his first game, so he has to get over that first-game hump just like a couple other guys."
The fifth-round rookie himself relishes the chance to be a Week 1 NFL starter, something he likened to a dream come true.
"It's the opportunity of a lifetime," Carson said Monday of his early career playtime. "You wait for this moment as a child, and it just happens to be my first game. I greatly appreciate it and I'm blessed to be in this position."
Carson is in great hands in terms of who he's learning from. Harris was in the league for 15 years (1997-2011) and made consecutive Pro Bowls on McCarthy's Green Bay Packers from 2007 to 2008. Carson first heard Harris' voice on the draft day phone call that informed him he was a Dallas Cowboy.
"He's a guy that gives you more confidence than you already got," Carson said of Harris. "I feel like I'm a confident guy, but I feel like he put more confidence in me. He trusts me, and he knows I'm here for a reason. ... Just the words of encouragement, and he's kind of been with me every step of the way since I came from OTAs, the night of the draft. He's kind of walking step by step, so [I] put my trust in him, and he's been trusting me."
Carson's confidence is evident by his recent uniform decision, initiating the switch from his assigned No. 41 to No. 21. He moves from Dallas Mavericks Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki to the number Hall of Famer Deion Sanders wore as a Cowboy, but Carson said the number switch didn't have anything to do with "Primetime."
"To me, I don't want get into all of that but, for me, it's just a better [fit]," Carson said. "I don't want to make it more than what it is. ... 41 was a little heavy on me. [I feel] a little lighter now."
"He's been really poised honestly," Lewis said of Carson's quiet confidence. "You can tell that the moment is not too big for him. He's just going out there preparing and then he's just playing football honestly. Just focusing on his techniques. You're not looking at the broader thing. Just going out there and just playing, not thinking about a long season. 'Know how I'm gonna attack this guy, how I got to go with this guy.' He's just thinking about his techniques as you know, play by play. So as a rookie that's very impressive to hone in on your craft and just stay laser focused on those little things."
Fellow Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs' mentorship has also had a significant impact on the rookie, especially since Diggs was a former college wide receiver at Alabama, allowing him to impart upon Carson the knowledge of how offensive players will go about attacking him.
"He spent a lot of time with me and actually got to watch film together," Carson said of Diggs' mentorship. "He's been taking me under his wing and really just showing me the in's and out's."
Now, he is zeroing in on Week 1 against the Browns, one of the NFL's marquee Sunday afternoon matchups. The NFL's G.O.A.T, Tom Brady, will make his Fox Sports broadcasting debut, serving as the color commentator for Carson's first regular season NFL action.
"To be honest, everything happens for a reason. I'm more than prepared. If you make it bigger than what it is, then it's going to be a big moment for you," Carson said. "But I don't try and make it a big moment. It's just going to be like any other game. I've been playing football all my life, so I just feel like nothing changes. It's just more people and television, but at the end of the day, you've been doing this since you were five years old."
Carson didn't enter college football with much fanfare either, coming to Wake Forest as the 149th-ranked cornerback in the country as a consensus three-star recruit, per 247Sports. Yet, he was a four-year starter. Now, he is trying to replicate those results in the NFL.
"Back in college, I definitely didn't think I was going to start as a freshman, but once I got going I realized, 'OK, I can do it,'" Carson said. "Then it happened. It was like cake. It was good. ... That's what I'm trying to do."
See ball, get ball
Carson's fellow members of Dallas' cornerbacks room don't even have to tell him how to be a great Cowboys corner because both Diggs and Bland have laid out the blueprint with their past performances: go get the football. Diggs' 18 interceptions since being a 2020 second-round pick are tied for the most in the league behind only Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons and his 19 despite playing 13 fewer games (60 to 47). Bland's 14 career interceptions since being a 2022 fifth-round pick are the most in all of professional football.
"It's obvious that's what we do on the back end, we have to get ball," Lewis said. "He's taking full advantage of his opportunities. He's been getting the ball, and he's been around the ball. It's just second nature to him now because that's all he's been around in camp and in preseason."
Lewis said they don't even talk directly to each other about how the secondary has survived injuries in the past because of young guys stepping up. They just go play, which might be the secret sauce to that success.
"It's just what we're supposed to do. You were supposed to be prepared regardless of if the guy was hurt or not. That's just your job. You know what I'm saying? [Carson] understands that. We reiterate to him that it's your job to be prepared, and he's doing a really good job."
